Chelsea are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens. The Blues have made it their mission to bolster their forward ranks this summer, and the Englishman looks set to be a key part of their attacking rebuild.
Enzo Maresca’s side have already welcomed Liam Delap to their squad from Ipswich Town, and they remain in the market for another striker to compete with their £30million signing for the No. 9 spot in their starting XI.
Signing a winger is also among the priorities at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea failed to reach an agreement to sign Jadon Sancho and Mykhaylo Mudryk was charged with doping offences by the Football Association (FA).
Gittens was promptly identified as a target out on the left, and Fabrizio Romano reports that the Blues are ‘closing in’ on striking an agreement with Dortmund for the 20-year-old. Talks have now reached the ‘final stages’, with the Bundesliga outfit now scouring the market for replacement options.
Chelsea looked to secure to secure the signature of Gittens before the Club World Cup got underway, but their opening offers for the winger were rejected by Dortmund. He has since played 13 minutes in the competition and was not named in his side’s matchday squad to face Ulsan HD FC due to illness.
If Gittens joins the Blues then he will become their fifth signing of the summer so far. As well as Delap, they have signed Dario Essugo from Sporting and Mamadou Sarr from their Ligue 1 sister club Strasbourg.
Although a deal has been in place for months, Estevao Willian will also join Chelsea from Palmeiras once the Club World Cup has concluded. The Brazilian is capable of playing on either wing as well as a No. 10, and he is expected to remain a part of Maresca’s squad next season.
It remains to be seen if the Blues turn their attention to reinforcements at the other end of the pitch later this summer, particularly between the sticks. Chelsea pushed to sign Mike Maignan from AC Milan, but their approach was rebuffed due to a gap in valuations – as Maresca’s side thought that the Frenchman would be available for a cut-price fee now that he is approaching the final 12 months of his contract at the San Siro.
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